Somebody asked me the other day how a person could find time to read more. I told her she should figure out what she likes to read, and go from there.

But I'm not sure that's what she needed to hear. I think I missed part of what she was asking (hey, it was early in the morning and I hadn't eaten for about 10 hours; my brain wasn't what it should be). I was thinking more in terms of not finding enough reading material, rather than not finding enough time. So if I could go back and talk to her again, what I would say is this: You have to make the time. Commit to it. Figure out what part of your daily routine could be exchanged for or enhanced by time spent with a book. Some people listen to audiobooks (yes, that counts as reading; don't let anybody tell you differently) during their commute time. Although if you're like me, concentrating on something like driving might cause you to miss something in your listening. But if somebody else is doing the driving, listen away!

The same thing goes for something like exercise time. During the cold part of the year (which is about half the year where I live), I prop my Kindle up on the front of my exercise bike and read while I pedal. It makes the time go so much faster. 40 minutes every other day is a good chunk of time with the average book.

Or is there a meal you normally eat in front of the TV, or alone? Break out that book. I used to read the paper over breakfast every day. Since the pandemic started, our local paper only brings out a print edition twice a week. No paper over breakfast means 15 or 20 minutes with that book (the Kindle again for me, since it's virtually hands-free) every morning.

And of course there's the classic pre-sleep reading time. Personally, unless I'm really tired or it's very late, I make a point of clocking in at least 20 more minutes of reading in bed before I turn out the light. The routine of it reminds my brain that it's time to wind down, and I almost never have trouble getting to sleep afterward, no matter what kind of book I'm reading.

I also make a point of sitting down for an hour or so every few days, and devoting that time just to reading. Nothing else. No interruptions allowed unless they're urgent. The cats love it; I put my feet up and they have a lap to sprawl out on.

Of course all this advice works best if you are a solitary creature like myself. I don't live alone, but I still spend most of my time that way. On the other hand, reading aloud to another person also counts. When my kids were younger we had a ritual of reading for 20 minutes before their bedtime. Once they were old enough for chapter books, I would generally count myself as reading three books at the same time. This went on from the time they were toddlers up until my older daughter moved out. Now I read to my granddaughter, when I can get her to sit still long enough. And I learned to read before I was in kindergarten, from my older sister reading to me. Reading to a child is the best way to give them a love of words, and stories, and so much more that will help them both in their education and the rest of their lives. It really is one of the best things you can do for them. And at the same time, you're doing it for yourself.